Pancake Confidential
by CheerfulChemist
Summary: A body drops at Foodie Central where Castle has entered the Great Pancake Flipoff. This starts a couple of days after Relapse, just before Christmas. Same AU. Of course I own nothing, but Rick and Kate inhabit my dreams. Follow me on Twitter @CheerfulChemist
1. Chapter 1

Pancake Confidential

Chapter 1

Beckett padded sleepily into the kitchen. "Castle, what are you doing?"

Clad only in a robe, whisk in hand, Castle looked up from his mixing bowl. "Practicing. I need to get my recipe entry in for The Great Pancake Flipoff. Pull up a stool. Coffee's made and these will be ready soon."

"What is The Great Pancake Flipoff?"

"It's a charity thing. Celebrities compete to make the best pancakes. If I win, I make a hundred thousand dollars split between Up and the food bank. Even if I lose, they get something, but I'm not going to lose. Try these." Castle put a plate in front of Beckett.

"Castle, I know you make good pancakes but...," Beckett said, taking a bite, "oh wow! These are fantastic! What is in these?"

"Actually, it's what isn't in them. There's no milk. They're made with cherry juice," Castle crowed.

"Did you get carried away with the whisking? You're a mess. You have pancake batter on your face, your neck, and your eyebrows!"

"As mother is constantly telling me, one must make sacrifices for one's craft. It'll wash off."

"Let me see," Kate proposed, licking a drop of batter off his cheek.

"Kate..."

"Not bad," Kate said. "how about this one?" she wondered, tasting his neck.

Rick pulled Kate tightly against his body. "My turn!" Rick pulled her sleep shirt away to taste her neck.

"There's no batter there," Kate protested, laughing.

"It's all right," Rick told her, as the scent of her hair invaded his senses. "I can smell the cherries." Rick lifted Kate back onto her stool. Face to face, they matched each other almost perfectly. Kate pulled the sash of his robe free as Rick pulled away her silky barrier as well. Their bodies warmed as they savored each other, touching, tasting, until irresistibly drawn into the inevitable joining, Kate's legs wrapped around Rick, her back braced against the counter. The stool rocked with their motion until it toppled to the floor but Rick held Kate securely and lovingly to him, even as the explosion rocked them. With a final breath of cherries, Rick gently set Kate down on another stool.

Showered and dressed Castle and Beckett were finishing the last of the pot of coffee when Beckett's cell buzzed. "We've got a body she announced."

"Oh no!" Castle exclaimed as they pulled up at the scene.

"What's the matter, Castle?" Beckett asked.

"This is Foodie Central, where The Great Flipoff is."

Beckett and Castle met Lanie Parish as they approached the body. "What have we got, Lanie?" Beckett asked.

"It looks like blunt force trauma. She was hit with that marble thing." Lanie pointed to an object on the floor next to the body.

"That's a pestle," Castle said. "It's used to grind spices in a mortar." He pointed to a marble container on a nearby stainless steel work table. "That must be it." Castle took a sniff of the residue. "Nutmeg!" he announced.

Ryan approached with his ever present notebook. "The victim is Ivy Purchase. She works here as an assistant to one of the chefs slash producers. From all accounts so far, very well liked."

"Someone didn't like her," Beckett commented dryly. "Lanie do we have a time of death?"

"Sometime between eight and midnight, last night," Lanie answered. "I'll be able to pin it down better when I get her back to the lab."

"Esposito," Beckett called.

"Start a canvass to see if anyone saw anything?" Esposito asked.

"Yeah," Beckett agreed. "and Ryan, let's start interviewing her co-workers."

"Already on it," Ryan answered.

Castle and Beckett sat in the plush office of Michelle Monet, Ivy's boss, who spoke with a pronounced French accent. "Ivy was a wonderful girl," Monet said. "Very hard working."

"What was she doing here last night?" Beckett asked.

"She was setting up for my show, La Femme Francaise. We were going to do crepes as part of the lead in to The Great Pancake Flipoff. Of course you know about that Monsieur Castle.

"Yes, I have my recipe all ready to go," Castle told Michelle as Beckett smiled behind her hand.

Beckett restored her professional expression. "Ms. Monet," she continued.

"Mademoiselle Monet, s'il vous plait," Michelle corrected.

"Mademoiselle Monet, can you think of anyone who would want to hurt Ivy Purchase?"

"No, but you might ask Barbara Blair. She's another assistant here. They were very close."

Beckett offered Michelle her card. "Mademoiselle Monet, if you think of anything else, please give me a call."

Beckett found Barbara Blair sniffling quietly in the ladies room and convinced her to sit in an empty studio to talk. "Ms. Blair, I understand that you knew Ivy Purchase well," Beckett said sympathetically.

"Yes. We were BFF's. Of course everyone acted as if Ivy was their BFF."

"In what way?" Castle asked.

"It was just one of those things. Ivy really didn't think of herself as very social, but everyone seemed to talk to her. She called it God's cosmic joke on her. If someone made a delivery, they told her about their sperm count. If they were putting up shelves, she heard about the intimate details of their divorces. Everyone told her their secrets, which made her very uncomfortable, because she kept them all. She might give me little examples, but I never knew who told her what and I know nothing I told her ever got out around here. She was like a confessor."

"Could someone have told her a secret worth killing for?" Beckett asked.

"I don't know," Barbara answered. "But it's certainly possible."

"Wow, the confessor of Foodie Central," Castle said as they left the studio. What a great story!"

"Is that the best you've got Castle?" Beckett jibed.

"She was working on crepes. I could call it Pancake Confidential."

Beckett smirked and rolled her eyes.

Lanie texted Beckett that the murder had taken place between nine and eleven. Beckett instructed Esposito to concentrate his canvass around those hours and checked with Foodie Human Resources to see if there was any way to determine who might have been around at that time. Beckett and Castle were given a stack of handwritten time cards and spent several hours going through them. Unfortunately, a good many employees were considered exempt. They worked as many hours as they needed to and came and went as they pleased without documentation. Beckett finally called it a day and she and Castle returned to the loft.

"What do you want for dinner, Beckett?" Castle asked. "We should have picked up some free samples at Foodie Central."

"You know we're not allowed to do that, Castle," Beckett told him. "It constitutes bribery, but that barbecue Billy Bay was doing did smell amazing."

"How about some rib eyes with the special Castle rub?"

"Sounds wonderful. How about if I do the salad?" Beckett suggested.

"You're on," Castle agreed. "And that red wine you like so much?"

"Mmmmmm, Perfect."

After dinner Rick lounged on the couch, feet up on a stool, with Kate leaning against his broad chest. "You're going to have to tell me what's in that special Castle rub," Kate purred.

"No," Rick said, caressing her face, "I'm going to have to show you."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kate stretched sleepily reaching for Rick and found an empty pillow. The door between his office and the bedroom was closed, which was strange. It hadn't been the night before. There were distinct advantages to Martha being in the Hamptons and Alexis having an apartment. Closed doors weren't usually necessary. Kate knocked. "Castle, what are you doing?"

"Don't come in!" Rick answered. "I'm wrapping presents. I'm almost done."

Rick returned to the bedroom after a few minutes to find Kate sitting on the bed waiting for him. She had tied a long scarf around her with a huge bow. "What are you wearing?" Rick asked.

"You were wrapping presents," she told him. "I thought I'd wrap one too."

Rick gave a lopsided grin and pulled on one end of the scarf. "Wow! I know I'm going to enjoy unwrapping this one."

Rick took his time. As he unwound the fluffy knit, he kissed the warm skin revealed underneath, moving to Kate's back, then forward again to expand his journey. He explored with seeking fingertips and mouth the gift Kate had presented. Kate grew restless beneath his touch, plunging her hands into his hair, then measuring the breadth of his shoulders and the swell of his biceps. Her lips sought him, tasting every inch that they could reach. Finally their lips met, tongues entwining. Their bodies were flung together, almost as by an outside force, joining and moving. As the friction brought more heightened sensation, the motion quickened. Kate and Rick were climbing a mountain, scrambling desperately to reach the summit. They reached the peak together and descended as one to rest in each others' arms.

Castle brewed coffee fragrant with cinnamon and Beckett's favorite vanilla. Pancakes had given way to the kind of buttery croissants they ate their first weekend in the Hamptons, preparing for a quick exit to get to the 12th. Christmas traffic was in full gear and the short trip still took twenty minutes. Esposito and Ryan were poring over the results from the canvass and the preliminary interviews when they arrived.

"Yo," Esposito called. "Got a lot of hits on the canvass. Seems people notice celebrity chefs. They saw Michelle Monet, Dalton Towne, Billy Bay, Ginny Coppola, Louella Queen, and Terry Winsome all coming or going during our kill zone."

"I've been talking to the assistants and the crew," Ryan said, approaching the group, now gathered at the murder board. "They all say pretty much the same thing. They liked Ivy Purchase. She was very easy to talk to and people tended to spill their guts to her."

"So, someone was afraid that Ivy would spill _her _guts and murdered her to prevent it," Castle speculated.

"It's a great theory, Castle," Beckett said. "But it doesn't get us any closer to knowing who killed her."

"Detective Beckett," Castle told her,"we are just going to have to ferret out the fatal secret. Oh 'Fatal Secret!' That's another great title!"

"Fine, Castle. Let's start ferreting."

Beckett split Esposito's list of celebrity chefs among Esposito, Castle, Ryan and herself, to gather background information. Castle was the first to look up from his screen. "I've been researching Dalton Towne. What a disappointment! He's supposed to be the king of science at Foodie Central, but I brought up a copy of his college yearbook. He wrote a treatise on how much he hated science nerds and geeks. I don't think I can ever listen to him talk about molecular gastronomy again."

"Well we're going to listen to him talk about something, Castle. Let's go."

Dalton Towne sat in his cluttered office at Foodie Central and stared at Beckett and Castle through his oversized glasses.

"Mr. Towne," Beckett asked. "Where were you between nine and eleven the night Ivy Purchase was killed?"

"I was in the lab here. My assistant Bootsy and I were exploring ways to produce a finer crystal structure when liquid nitrogen is used to freeze ice cream. I'm extremely interested in the finer points of food science. I think I left around ten thirty."

"I'm fascinated, Mr. Towne how you did that," Castle said. "I've tried and my crystals are always too big. What's your secret?"

Dalton hesitated. "I think that will have to stay my secret."

"Why?" Castle persisted. "I watch your show. You love to share your science."

Perspiration began to show on Dalton's high forehead.

"Mr. Dalton," Beckett said, "we know you didn't leave at ten thirty. You arrived at eight and you were still here at eleven. What were you really doing?"

"All right," Dalton grudgingly agreed, but this can't get out. "I wasn't working with the liquid nitrogen, Bootsy was. I won't even read her notes until I need them to put a show together. I was with Ginny."

"Ginny Coppola?" Castle asked.

"Yeah, we were..., well you can ask her."

"Thank you, Mr. Towne," Beckett told him, "we will."

Ginny Coppola was in the beautifully appointed gourmet kitchen that was the set of her show, "The Director's Daughter's Dietary Delights," usually known as "4D."

"Ms. Coppola, Dalton Towne told us that you two were together the night Ivy Purchase was killed. Is that correct?"

Ginny's eyes widened and she gave a little gasp, but as one accustomed to a live audience, quickly regained her composure. "Dalton and I had some things to discuss," she said. "He had some ideas about '4D.'"

Staring at Ginny's ample bosom, Beckett kept a straight face. "I'm sure he did."

"You know, Ms Coppola," Castle said, "I've always been interested in your father's influence on you, especially his use extraordinary use of the tight close-up. Do you use his techniques to highlight your creations?"

"Well yes," Ginny answered, relieved at the change of subject. "His artistry has been very important to me."

Trying to get back on track, Beckett continued her questioning. "Ms. Coppola, can you think of anyone who might want to harm Ivy Purchase?"

"I'm sorry, Detective, I can't. Everyone here liked her very much."

"Thank you for your time," Beckett said, handing Ginny her card. "Please call if you think of anything."

Beckett and Castle spent the remainder of the day updating the murder board and checking the background on other suspects. "What's the matter, Castle?" Beckett asked as they returned to the loft.

"My heroes are falling," Castle told her sadly. "Not only doesn't Dalton Towne do his own science, but he cheats on his wife. Do you know he has three kids? And Ginny, she doesn't know anything about her father's movies. He doesn't do tight close-ups. He's famous for wide angle shots and strange angles."

"I was wondering why you asked her about that," Beckett said. "That was a detour, even for you."

"I just wanted to see how big a lying liar she is. And she's big."

Beckett choked back a chortle. "So Castle, has this spoiled your contest for you?"

"Are you kidding?" Castle responded. "Now I really want to take Foodie Central's money. I am going to win that flip off. That reminds me, I need to practice my technique."

"What technique, Castle? Your pancakes are perfect?'

"Well," Rick told her, brushing his fingers over her lips and trailing them down to play with a button on her blouse, "I have to get the griddle hot enough, and then, at just the perfect time," he murmured, continuing his unbuttoning as he spoke, "flip." Rick pressed a kiss to Kate's now exposed cleavage.

Kate stood on tiptoe to lightly brush Rick's lips with hers. "I like your technique," she whispered. "Show me more."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A front of warm air had swept into New York making the first day of winter the warmest in weeks. The collision of fronts had triggered a storm, causing rain to sheet down the windows. Outside, the noise of traffic rose to a fever pitch. The power to the subway had been shut down to prevent electrical damage from flooding and every car in the city seemed to be stuck in front of the loft. It seemed to Kate that sometimes Rick could sleep through anything; he certainly seemed to be immune to the din. She put a pillow over her head in a futile effort to shut out the blaring horns and gave a howl of frustration as the cacophony penetrated the useless barrier.

Rick sat up with a start. "Kate, what's wrong?"

"Sorry, I woke you up too. I couldn't sleep through the noise out there."

"We could make some noise of our own," Rick suggested. "and I know just what to do." Rick placed his phone in its dock and strains of Bolero began to fill the room."

Kate laughed at the hint that Rick had taken from a crew of pick up artists. "Seriously, Rick?"

"Hey, raises the chance of closing the deal by twelve percent."

"Since when couldn't you close the deal with me?" Kate asked.

"Well there were four years," Rick teased.

"I mean recently."

Rick began to trail kisses down her neck. "I can't remember," he murmured. "That doesn't mean I shouldn't keep working to improve my game."

"Just as long as you're only playing with me," Kate told him, bringing his lips to hers.

They moved to the unceasing staccato beat, gaining excitement as the oboe was joined by strings and the music swelled. The final crescendo was theirs. As the final chord brought rest, the sounds of the city were no longer intrusive.

Beckett and Castle made their preparations for the day quickly, anticipating an almost impossible commute to the 12th. Coffee in traveling mugs, they braved the streets, finally dragging into the precinct almost an hour later.

Esposito had not yet appeared but Ryan was there, an early riser in preparation for his imminent fatherhood. "I've got something on Michelle Monet," he announced.

"What?" Beckett asked.

"See for yourself," Ryan told Beckett, handing her the file. Castle read over her shoulder.

"La Femme Francaise is Margaret Mullins from Secaucus New Jersey!" Castle exclaimed. "This is worse than when I found out that fortune cookies aren't Chinese!"

"We should talk to her again," Beckett said. "Who knows what else she's lying about."

"Do you want me to get her in here?" Ryan asked.

"No, it'll take forever in this mess. Castle and I'll go to Foodie Central. We can talk to her and whatever other chefs make it in. You can keep digging and ask Esposito to do the same when he gets here."

"On it," Ryan agreed.

If anything, conditions on the streets had gotten worse. Beckett and Castle arrived at Foodie Central frustrated and out of sorts. "Monsieur Castle!" Michelle Monet greeted as they found her in her office. "I was looking at your recipe. Tres bien! I look forward to seeing you in our Kitchen Colosseum tomorrow."

"Mademoiselle Monet," Beckett said with a slight sarcastic twinge to her voice, "we have a few more questions for you. You were seen here around the time of death. If Ivy was doing set-ups for you, why weren't you with her?"

Michelle looked taken aback. "I'm not a sous chef! I had other things to take care of. I was going over the script and the plans for the Flip Off. And I had a call with my family."

"An odd time to call France," Castle said. "It would have been two or three in the morning there, but it probably worked fine for New Jersey. That is where you're from isn't it,_ Mademoiselle_?"

"All right," Michelle said, all traces of a French accent gone. "Who wants a French chef from New Jersey? Michelle Monet can sell cookbooks and cookware. Margaret Mullins, not so much."

"Did Ivy know?" Beckett asked.

"Sure, she heard me on phone to my mother a few times, so I told her the truth, but she wouldn't have told anyone. It wouldn't have just been bad for me, it would have hurt everyone at Foodie Central. We have a brand to maintain."

"Right,"Castle agreed scornfully.

"Mr. Castle, you will still be here tomorrow?" Michelle asked with concern.

"I'll be here," Castle affirmed. "It's for people who need help, not for you or the Foodie Central brand."

Beckett and Castle followed the aroma of spicy barbecue to find Billy Bay. He was in the area of the specially built grills in the Colosseum, but he wasn't doing the cooking. His assistants, Susan and Merry, were working with the signature red and green Bay sauces to perfect the demonstration for the week's show. Billy Bay was on the phone with the manager of his downtown restaurant complaining about how much business they would lose because of the traffic problems. He held up his hand as Beckett and Castle approached. "OK Sid, I'll call you back," he said before ending his call.

"Mr. Bay," Beckett said, holding up her badge, "I'm Detective Beckett and this is Richard Castle, we need to ask you some questions regarding the death of Ivy Purchase."

"I'm sorry, Detective," Bay apologized. "I really don't know anything about it it."

"We have a witness that puts you here during the time of death." Castle told him.

"When was that?" Bay asked. "I'm here a lot. I have three different shows plus judging the competitions, like The Great Flipoff, Mr. Castle."

"Between nine and eleven Thursday night, Mr. Bay," Beckett told him.

"I was shooting promos for 'Southwest Savor.' You can check with the crew."

"We will, Mr. Bay." Beckett assured him. "One more thing, can you think of anyone who would want to harm Ivy Purchase?"

"No," Bay answered. "I didn't know her well, but she seemed like a nice kid."

"If we have any more questions, we'll be in touch," Beckett told him. Castle seemed on the edge of saying something, but Beckett deftly steered him away.

"Beckett," Castle asked, "when Bay said he was judging the Flipoff, did that sound like a threat to you?"

Beckett smiled and ran her fingers over her gun. "It better not have been."

Beckett called Ryan to ask him to check out Bay's alibi. There were two more chefs to interview, but they weren't at Foodie Central, so Beckett decided to knock off for the day.

Power had been restored to the subway, so traffic had started to lighten a little, but it was still a very tedious drive back to the loft. "Beckett, I hate to ask," Castle said when they got there, "but how about some pancakes? I need one more practice run before I cook in the Colosseum tomorrow."

"Sure Castle. After today I really want to see you make them cry, especially Billy Bay."

Dinner pancakes were more elaborate than those Rick had served Kate for breakfast. Rick made a special sauce from a cherry juice reduction and flamed it with obscenely expensive Cognac, filling the loft with heady vapors. Rick and Kate sipped more Cognac in front of the fire after the meal.

"Rick," Kate sighed. "I feel fuzzy warm all over."

Tucking silken strands of her hair behind her ear, Rick covered her mouth with his. "Kate," he whispered. "We're just getting started."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The storm was gone. The temperature was high, although not expected to stay that way, and despite the tree and the garlands, Christmas did not seem to be in the air. Castle was disappointed with Foodie Central and yet determined to win. He lay wide-eyed next to Kate planning his strategy. Kate cuddled up, feeling the tension in his body. "Rick, I know you perform well under pressure, but you should try to relax a little. If you go into the Flipoff this tense, you could flip the pancakes right onto the floor."

Rick turned toward Kate and cupped her cheek. "Any ideas how I might chill out?"

"You just need to think about something else for a while, like this," Kate suggested before kissing his lips. "Or this," she purred, kissing the center of his broad chest. "Or maybe even this." Kate moved lower, teasing him with tiny touches of her tongue that awakened him him like bolts of lightning.

Rick brought his mouth to cover hers, plunging his tongue deeply within and pulling her tightly against him. He was ravenous as his mouth moved over hers, but instead of waning, his hunger increased. Kate threw back her head, the arch of her back bringing their most sensitive places together. They moved against each other, ever reaching for more until she encased him. Toward each other and away again, each joining fanned the sparks of desire to a brighter flame until a pulsing fire spread outward through their limbs that could no longer be contained and burst forth, before banking to a cozy haze.

Instead of starting at the 12th, Castle and Beckett went directly to Foodie Central, Castle for the Flipoff and Beckett to interview chefs Louella Queen and Terri Winsome, who was also a judge.

Castle was joined in Kitchen Colosseum by his competitors. Marnie Phillips, a member of a musical dynasty, was better known for massive gains and losses of weight. She was using the contest to try and launch her own brand of food products. Known for his flamboyant style, Jimmy Strange was a figure skater who could never quite win the gold. A rapper, Chilly Man, was known for his creative exploration of both recipes and relationships with women. Best known as the husband of an actress in a reality show, Dorian McDonald was trying to establish his owner identity as an expert father/chef. Castle viewed Bob Little Bear, a versatile actor and serious cook as his strongest competition.

As he had warned, Billy Bay was a judge. The others were Deacon Bernhardt, a noted pastry chef and owner of a dessert company, Simon Michaels, chef known for his use of bacon, booming laugh, and Ohio accent, and Terri Winsome cake designer and infamously fierce critic.

As Castle and the other contestants set up their stations, Beckett took the opportunity to question Terri Winsome. As they sat opposite each other in the Green Room, Terri pushed back her headband and fixed Beckett with a piercing stare. Beckett didn't flinch. "Ms. Winsome, where were you between nine and eleven on Thursday night?"

"I was here. I was overseeing preparations for the "Fable Cakes Challenge."

"What did that entail?" Beckett inquired.

"Our challenges have very specific rules about how much cake the contestants can bring, how many decorations may be prepared in advance, and what types of materials may be used. I was taking an inventory of the contents of each contestant's kitchen. It is very detailed work."

"Did you see Ivy Purchase that night?" Beckett asked.

"Not that I can recall. She was doing Michelle Monet's work for her," Terri said disdainfully.

"Is that a problem?" Beckett asked.

Terri snorted. "Michelle should have been overseeing her own setups instead of," she snorted again, "doing whatever she was doing. It's her show she should take charge of it. But you must excuse me, Detective, I must check that the contestants for the Flip Off are adhering to the rules. Terri carefully examined the contents of each station. When she examined Castle's area, she seemed surprised not to find anything wrong.

Beckett whispered to Castle after Terri had moved on. "I can see why she likes being a judge. She's the most judgmental person I've ever met."

"Tell me about it," Castle whispered back.

The first round, Quick Cakes, pitted the contestants against each other in pairs. Castle was pitted against Marnie Phillips, Jimmy Strange against Chilly Man, and Dorian McDonald against Bob Little Bear. Each contestant would have twenty minutes to produce a classic buttermilk pancake. Castle had noticed during his preparations that the griddles were very slow to reach optimum temperature and started his right away. Marnie started her batter before turning her griddle on. As a result, some of Marnies pancakes were doughy and Castle easily won his match.

Louella Queen had come in to observe. She was the epitome of the hearty and slightly randy Southern belle. During the break between rounds, Beckett questioned her. "Ms. Queen, a witness puts you here on Thursday night. Did you see Ivy Purchase?"

"No, I didn't," Louella responded. "I was working on my show 'Southern Comfort.'"

"Did you know Ivy Purchase?" Beckett asked.

"Well sure," Louella told her. "Everyone knew Ivy. She was a sweet girl. She helped me out sometimes with my recipes, but Michelle kept her busy that night."

"Can you think of anyone who might want to hurt Ivy?" Beckett continued.

"Not a soul," Louella answered.

Beckett and Louella watched the second round of the competition together, with Beckett observing Louella as well.

Round two of the contest was judges choice. A judge picked at random presented a contestant with unusual ingredients which had to be incorporated some way into their pancakes. Castle's unfortunate pick of judge was Billy Bay, who challenged him with cayenne peppers. Beckett sent Castle a look of concern, but he answered with a confident grin. With a cough and watering eyes, Castle combined juice he extracted from the peppers with rich dark chocolate and cinnamon, to produce spicy sweet confections, coming in first in the round.

The third round was chef's signature, a chance for Castle to show off the cherry juice based recipe he had previously submitted. He went all out with a garnish of chocolate covered cherries. By the scoring system, Castle was enough in the lead that he could win not only by taking a first, but also by taking second.

Beckett could see a vigorous argument taking place at the judges' table between Terri Winsome and Billy Bay. Using a ruler, Terri measured the heights of the stacks from each contestant. Finally Terri returned to the judges table to announce the results to the contestants. "I must tell you that the decision was not unanimous and we have an unusual set of circumstances. By the raw scores of this round, Richard Castle comes in third, Chilly Man Second and Bob Little Bear first. However, Chilly man has violated the rules of the competition by producing a stack half an inch shorter than that required by the rules. That is a mandatory penalty of fifty points, putting Richard Castle in second for the round and our overall winner.

Castle accepted his gold medal and the oversized check with the smile Beckett had so often seen him put on at book signing parties, one that lit up the room but not his eyes. On the way back to the loft, he didn't smile at all. "Cheer up, Castle," Beckett said as they came through the door. "You won. The kids get the money. That's what you wanted, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Castle answered, but not the way it happened. "Those were my best pancakes. They came in second and they would have come in third if Terri hadn't pulled out her ruler. As a person who is not a fan of rules, I'm not crazy about winning because someone broke one."

"Castle," I don't think that's what happened. "I was watching and listening to everything that was going on."

"Like what?' Castle asked.

"Well for one thing, Louella Queen wrinkled up her nose every time someone used butter or sugar or anything fattening," Beckett reported.

"Wha-a-at!" Castle exclaimed. "She's the butter queen. She doesn't make anything without at least one stick of butter. Another phony at Foodie Central!"

"More than that, Castle. Billy Bay was arguing with all the other judges. From what I saw, most of them wanted you to win. Billy Bay was trying his best to sabotage you, which should have been obvious from the hot peppers. The other judges were very pleased when Terri found a way for you to win."

Rick held Kate's face in his large hands and kissed her. "Have I ever told you," he asked kissing her again, "how much I appreciate your detecting skills?"

"I think you've written a few books about that," Kate answered. "But," she said, putting her arms around his neck, "you," she continued kissing him, "can always tell me again."

A/N Thank you to the guest who corrected my French. I've fixed the problem. I don't know how much writing I'll have time for over the next few days. I have family coming in. I will try my best to keep up because this story is running in real time. We'll see what happens. I just saw a tweet from Nathan that he's fearful of pancakes. Is God laughing at me?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

They flew out of the pan, sticking to the walls and attacking. One landed on Castle's back, sending out tendrils, taking over his nervous system with overwhelming pain that clouded his very thoughts. He realized with horror that one was flying straight at Kate. He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let her feel the pain he was enduring. He lunged at it but it flew from his grasp, getting closer to her. He pursued it desperately, but it was almost upon her. Now something was grasping his shoulder, shaking him.

"Rick, wake up!" The dream slowly let go and Rick opened his eyes. "What were you dreaming? Kate asked. You were thrashing around as if Darth Vader was after you."

"Actually it was the invasion of the pancake body snatchers, but it was kind of like an old Star Trek episode. Wow! I wonder if killer pancakes can be wiped out by a heavy dose of high frequency ultraviolet light?"

"Are you actually awake or is this another somniloquy?"

"I don't know," Rick answered. "Let's find out."

"You want me to pinch you?" Kate teased."

"I've got a better idea," Rick answered nibbling on her neck. "That tastes real enough."

"Are you sure?" Kate queried, bringing her lips to Rick's. "Maybe you should taste something else."

Kate could feel the proof that Rick was thoroughly awake pressing against her thigh and moved to bring his arousal against her own. The thin wall of damp black silk between them was too much, and Rick tossed it aside. Kate rose above him, taking him deeply within her, but she needed more. She rode wildly as Rick gave attention first to one breast and then the other, laying a loving kiss on the scar in between.

The prize was just beyond Kate's grasp. "Rick," she cried in near desperation. His knowing touch took her the rest of the way, the power of her release a cascade, bringing him along in its wake.

Kate collapsed, her head resting on Rick's chest. He caressed her hair, kissing it softly. "I think," he told her, "that might have been another dream."

Beckett, Castle, Ryan, and Esposito gathered around a murder board that was no dream. There was a wide array of suspects who admitted to being at Foodie Central at the time of the murder and none of whom had hard alibis. There was also no real evidence against any of them. "Maybe we need to look at this another way," Castle suggested. "We know that Ivy was a keeper of secrets. We also know that she was trusted not to let them slip. What could she have found out that night that would have caused someone to bash her with a pestle? Michelle Monet not really being French, not new. Dalton Towne hating science and having an affair with Ginny Coppola, although personally devastating to me, not new. My guess is that a lot of people know that Susan and Merry do Bobby Bay's recipes for him and Ginny Coppola not knowing anything about the making of her father's movies would be a minor embarrassment. If Louella Queen wanted to go healthy, she might have a whole new direction for her show. That might even help her. So who has a secret bad enough to kill to keep and what is it?"

"Whose secret don't we know?" Beckett mused.

"Terri Winsome!" Beckett and Castle exclaimed in perfect synchronicity.

"I see you guys are keeping up your practice," Ryan commented.

"Let's go over everything we have on her again," Beckett said, and get a warrant for her financials."

Beckett, Castle, Ryan, and Esposito gathered again, this time around the table in the conference room. Castle had brought in Chinese and chopsticks dug into food cartons nestled amongst piles of paper. "Look at this," Ryan said, holding up a statement, "hospital bills, big ones."

"Is she in financial trouble?" Beckett asked.

"I have the answer to that," Esposito put in, "no. The bills are from her husband's illness, but she was able to pay. She's holding her own."

"But there's more," Castle pointed out. "Years ago she was in rehab. Illness in a relationship can be very stressful." Kate and Rick's hands touched, each remembering the others' brushes with death. "Could she have fallen off the wagon somehow and if she did, did Ivy know?"

"Let's put a surveillance team on her," Beckett ordered, "and see what turns up."

"Beckett," Castle asked,"can I meet you back at the loft? I still have some Christmas shopping to do."

"Fine, Castle," agreed. "See you later."

Beckett watched Castle leave with a thoughtful smile. Castle was more than thoughtful. He had been wracking his brains for the perfect gift for Kate and had been so far completely unsuccessful at coming up an answer. He walked along Fifth Avenue hoping inspiration would strike. A flash of purple in a window display caught his eye and drew him through a doorway.

Beckett's return to the loft was greeted with the spicy smell of mulled cider. Castle had laid a table with samplings of early Christmas joy. There were tiny quiches and pastry-wrapped savory meats. Kate's eyes lit on a favorite. "Cherry knishes!" she exclaimed. "Where did you get those? I've only seen them on Coney Island in the summer. I love them!"

"I know," Rick said remembering a walk along the boardwalk during Kate's suspension that had been so worth the sunburn he nursed later. The consummation of their relationship had been new and Rick had been filled with wonder. Kate's beautiful eyes had sparkled above lips smeared with sweet and sticky cherries. Rick had kissed those lips clean and after more than a year, he could still remember the taste. He had found a specialty caterer to reproduce the knishes, and he hoped, the experience.

The dancing flames of the fireplace were reflected in Kate's eyes as she enjoyed the treat. Afterward, she and Rick, pleasantly full, cuddled in front of the blaze. Rick urged Kate into his lap. "And what would you like for Christmas, little girl?" he asked.

Kate stroked his now slightly shadowed cheek. "You," she answered."All I want is you."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It was Christmas Eve morning and Castle's inner child was in full play. Almost everything was done. Decorations had long been completed. Presents were wrapped and food was ready to go. Alexis would be coming over for hot chocolate before spending the day with her friends, but it would be a couple of hours before that happened.

Kate could feel Rick almost vibrating with excitement. "You really want to get going, don't you?" she asked.

"I want it to be Christmas," Rick said, "but I don't have anything urgent to do at this moment."

"Are you sure?" Kate asked, running her hands down his body.

"Maybe," Rick said, giving a quick jerk that brought Kate tightly against him,"I should recheck my schedule."

Rick and Kate found something to do. As if opening stockings a day early, they searched for little treasures. Rick found a special spot right behind Kate's ear that filled her with Christmas joy and she in turn explored new sources for his delight. The hunt was leisurely and playful, but as more presents were unwrapped, their exhilaration grew. Tumbling together, they opened the final gift and contentedly lay wrapped in each other.

Beckett left the loft to start her day at the 12th, while Castle stayed to see Alexis. Alexis stirred her chocolate with a cinnamon stick and Castle pulled out a can of whipped cream to top both of their steaming cups. Castle couldn't resist spraying some straight into his mouth.

"You shouldn't do that too much, Dad," Alexis warned.

"I don't have any dinner to spoil," Castle protested.

"No, really," Alexis said. "One of the things we looked at in class is easily available things people use to get high. One of them is the nitrous oxide propellant in whipped cream. Or nutmeg. It has a chemical in it called myristicin, that makes people high, but can also make them really sick afterward if they eat it. Some people actually smoke it or snort it. Weird, huh?"

"Nutmeg," Castle said thoughtfully, and then repeated it with a gleeful shout. Castle hugged Alexis and kissed the top of her head. "I've gotta go see Beckett," he told her. "See you later?"

"Of course," Alexis answered, smiling knowingly at her father's sudden brainstorm.

"Nutmeg!" Castle yelled as he came through the elevator doors at the 12th and ran toward the murder board where Beckett was standing.

"Castle, what are you talking about?" Beckett asked.

"The nutmeg that was in the mortar at the murder scene. Nutmeg is not usually an ingredient in crepes, and that's what Ivy was doing set-ups for. Even if it was part of the recipe, she wouldn't grind it ahead, it would be ground just before it was used."

"Castle, what would be so important about nutmeg?"

"Alexis told me this morning that people use it to get high. Maybe that was someone's secret."

"Castle," Beckett chided, "that is a stretch, even for you, but assuming that you might actually be on to something, who would be secretly grinding nutmeg?"

"We know about one person with a history of a drug problem," Castle answered, "Terri Winsome."

Beckett contacted the surveillance team on Terri Winsome and was told that she was at her home. Terri's home might have better been described as a showroom. Glass cases filled with painstakingly designed wedding cakes occupied what would normally be a living room. As Beckett surveyed them, Castle could see a pleasant longing in her eyes, but she never lost her professional demeanor. Terri sat on a beautifully maintained antique settee and Castle and Beckett in brocade covered wing chairs opposite her.

"Ms. Winsome," Beckett began,"we found nutmeg at the murder scene and in fact, on the murder weapon."

"Why is that important?" Terri asked, nervously playing with the fabric of her dress. "Nutmeg is a regular pantry ingredient at Foodie Central."

"Yes," Castle agreed, "but Ivy would not have been grinding it fresh to do set-up for crepes. Someone else ground it with a mortar and pestle, the pestle that was used as the murder weapon. You were there. Who do you think that might have been?"

"You're wrong," Mr. Castle, "Terri protested. "Ivy did grind that nutmeg, but not for crepes. She did it for me. I had had an argument and Ivy knew that I use nutmeg to calm down. It's the one addiction I still indulge."

"Who did you have an argument with?" Beckett asked.

"Barbara Blair. After I inspected all the stations for the Fable Cakes Challenge, I caught Barbara Blair supplying the contestants with illegal ingredients. She threatened that if I told anyone about what she did, she would tell everyone about the nutmeg and make the media think of me a drug addict. Ivy overheard us. She never would have told anyone about me, and I'm sure she wasn't happy with Barbara."

As Beckett and Castle left Terri's home, Beckett called Esposito, "Espo, I need you to check financials on Barbara Blair. I especially need to know about any purchases of cooking or baking supplies."

Esposito sounded puzzled, but agreed.

By the time Beckett and Castle made it back to the 12th, Esposito had credit card records for Barbara Blair. There were multiple charges from a specialty supply house for chefs. "Go bring her in," Beckett ordered.

Beckett and Castle sat across from Barbara Blair in interrogation. "Ms Blair," Beckett asked. "where were you Thursday night between nine and eleven?"

"Home, doing my laundry," Barbara answered, rubbing the side of her nose with her finger.

"We have a witness that puts you at Foodie Central at that time," Beckett told her. Want to try again?"

"Oh yeah, Ivy asked me to help her with Michelle's set ups for a little while, so I did that before I went home."

"Did that involve the grinding of any spices?" Castle asked.

"No," Barbara answered. "I was weighing out flour, butter, putting the utensils in order."

"If you weren't grinding spices, why did we find your fingerprints on the pestle that killed Ivy?" Beckett asked.

"You couldn't have!" Barbara exclaimed. "I wiped..."

"You wiped what?" Beckett persisted.

"Nothing," Barbara answered.

"You wiped your fingerprints off the pestle," Ms Blair," Beckett told her, running a skillful bluff, "but you weren't that careful with your DNA. It's there. We know everything. We know that you were selling illegal ingredients to challenge contestants. We have the records. Terri wouldn't tell anyone because you blackmailed her, but Ivy was going to spill the whole mess. You couldn't let that happen could you?"

"No!" Barbara shouted. "That bitch Ivy! She kept everyone's secrets. Everyone's, even that biddy Terri's. But she was going to spill mine." Barbara continued, sobbing "I was supposed to be her BFF and she couldn't keep mine."

"Barbara Blair," Beckett said. "You are under arrest for the murder of Ivy Purchase."

"Some best friend forever," Castle said after Barbara Blair was taken to holding.

"Some of us take forever more seriously, Rick," Kate said, rubbing her fingertips over her ring.

"And some of us are incredibly lucky that you do," Rick told her, covering her small hand in his two large ones. "It's Christmas Eve. Let's go home."

A/N Next chapter, the Castle family Christmas. Then a new story.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The loft was ablaze with light, from the twinkling tree, to the garlands, to the flames dancing in the fireplace. The glow was reflected in the flashing sapphires that were Castle's eyes. A prime rib was in the oven. Martha had returned from her retreat from the Hamptons and was busily engaged in organizing the family production of the Nutcracker. Martha began the story, narrating to the music. Castle and Alexis waged an epic battle with epees with Castle as the Prince and Alexis as the Mouse King. Castle prevailed to win Beckett as a slightly reluctant Clara to an audience of a much amused Jim Beckett.

Glug and warm spicy cider were served as gag gifts were opened. Martha exclaimed over a silk robe with "Diva" embroidered on the back. Castle received a sleep mask with the words "Don't bother me, I'm writing," emblazoned on it. Alexis laughed at a sweatshirt that said, "Don't just stand there, plant bamboo. Jim Beckett looked slightly misty as Martha handed him his gift, an album for collecting baseball cards. Beckett unwrapped a t-shirt with the message, "You have the right to remain silent, so shut the hell up!" "Castle, you never know when or how I'm going to use this," Beckett warned playfully.

Castle grinned. "I'm looking forward to it!"

The cloth on the dining table was almost invisible under the bounty of food it held. The prime rib was accompanied by the sharp bite of horseradish. There were rainbow carrots, asparagus spears and perfect new potatoes. Warm dinner rolls soaked up butter. By mutual consent of the comfortably stuffed diners, dessert was put off until after the opening of serious presents.

Brightly colored boxes under the tree made tunnels through which Castle's train ran, whistling merrily. Alexis exclaimed over a set of matching dishes for her apartment. Martha delighted in a shawl with colors designed to cause temporary blindness. Castle squealed in delight over a new remote controlled helicopter to replace one he had crashed. Jim Beckett was presented with a baseball autographed by Joe Torre. Castle's gift to Beckett came last, a painting of a purple lady to replace the one that she could no longer enjoy in her apartment. Beckett threw her arms around his neck and wished for a moment that they were alone, so that she could do more.

After a heartfelt round of hugs as midnight approached, Jim Beckett departed. Martha retired to her room and Alexis, staying the night, did as well. "We don't want to scare Santa away," Rick said. "We want full stockings in the morning."

"Then we should leave him to get on with his business," Kate agreed. Hands clasped, Kate led the way. Behind the barrier of two closed doors, they embraced and Rick drew Kate in for a long slow kiss.

"I love having family around," Rick told Kate, "but I've been wanting to do that all night."

"I know, me too."

Rick swept Kate up in his arms and laid her gently on the bed as the precious gift she was and stood for a moment just gazing at her, glorying in the knowledge that after years of a dream, she was here. It would be just the beginning of a life together. No gift from Santa could ever compare.

Kate gazed back at him and held out her arms. They came together, holding, touching caressing. As gifts were given all over the world, they gave to each other. This was Christmas wonder. Each touch strengthened their bond, until they moved as one. As a nova glows brighter until the final explosion, so did they, until plunged into the cooling darkness of sleep.

Rick awoke in the dark. He and Kate had taken turns with Alexis and Martha filling stockings earlier, but he had one more gift to add to Kate's stocking before the little treasures were dumped out and explored at sunrise. Softly slipping into his office, he removed a small box from the safe. With the help of a small mag lite, he managed to get to the fireplace without tripping or stubbing a toe. Kate reached for him with half-opened eyes, just as he re-entered the room. "Where were you?" she asked.

"Just doing a little last minute Santa stuff," Rick replied. "The sun will be up soon."

"How soon is soon?" Kate asked.

Slipping back into bed, Rick stroked her hair. "I think we have about half an hour."

"Time enough for a shower," Kate suggested. Kate lit cinnamon candles and turned up the temperature of the water, enveloping them in a spicy haze. Their bodies slid easily in the fragrant steam, awareness growing through all the senses. Kate feasted on Rick's lips, the taste intoxicating. As her balance wavered, he held her tightly, finally bringing her out of the enclosure and lifting her to the counter surrounding the sink. He came into her and oblivious of the coolness of the marble under her, she wrapped her legs around him. Lips against lips, skin against skin, their bodies were almost indistinguishable, moving in ancient rhythm, with a simultaneous climactic final beat. At once energized and depleted, they rested against each other as the vapors still swirled around them.

The first rays of the sun poked their way in through the windows and Rick and Kate hastily robed. Martha in her new silk acquisition, and Alexis in fuzzy slippers, descended the stairs. Stockings were carefully detached from their hooks above the fireplace. Alexis knelt and spilled the contents of her oversized boot on the rug. Candy canes and chocolate Santas tumbled out along with a charm bracelet and an orange knit hat with ear flaps. "Dad, really," Alexis said, holding up the hat.

"What? You need to keep your ears warm," Castle answered mischievously.

Martha was next. Sitting in a chair with great dignity, she examined each item, noting with great satisfaction a pair of gold earrings that matched a bracelet Castle had given her on a previous birthday.

Castle followed Martha, dumping his loot out on the table. He was amused at a golden spatula, an apron saying "Kiss the Chef," and touched by some very realistic looking credentials saying "Volunteer Assistant Homicide Investigator."

Kate was last. Amidst miniature elephants and coupons for strawberry shakes she found the small box Rick had added before dawn. In it lay a necklace of amethysts and rubies. "Oh Rick," she sighed, "It's beautiful."

"The amethysts," Rick told her, "match the painting. But the rubies are my heart, which you have and will have, always."

Finis

A/N Christmas is over and so is this story. I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for the reviews. The next story will be "Death of a Diva." No, it's not Martha, but she will be a suspect. Beckett and Castle will have to work to clear her. Enjoy the rest of the holidays! Love, Sally


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